Today, November 15, marks the 18th anniversary of the catastrophic Cyclone Sidr. On this day in 2007, the devastating storm ravaged Bangladesh's coastal districts, leaving widespread destruction and claiming thousands of lives.
Eighteen years later, the people of Sharankhola and Morrelganj in Bagerhat still recount the terror of that night, their fear palpable every time the word 'cyclone' is mentioned.
The lingering trauma is now compounded by new threats: embankment collapse, river erosion, and the daily struggle for survival. The urgent plea from local residents is unified: "Where will we go if the embankment isn't made sustainable?"
A Half-Hour of Havoc
On November 15, 2007, the colossal Cyclone Sidr struck the coastal areas, unleashing half an hour of terrifying fury.
In Barguna district, the cyclone took the lives of 1,345 people. Homes, educational institutions, crops, and livestock were destroyed as embankments collapsed.
In Bagerhat district, 908 people were killed. Over 150,000 houses, roads, embankments, and crops were decimated in Sharankhola and Morrelganj.
Since then, the sole demand of the coast dwellers has been a strong, sustainable embankment. While this demand was reportedly met over the years, the same protective structures are now failing due to severe erosion.
The Cost of Neglect and Fear
Victims report that after 18 years, the embankments remain fragile. They claim that billions have been spent merely on 'repairs' with little lasting effect.
Insufficient Shelters: Many areas lack cyclone shelters. Barguna district, home to 1.2 million people, has only 673 operational shelters.
Sleepless Nights: Residents of Patuakhali face sleepless nights at the slightest hint of a storm, fearing that inadequate embankments and insufficient shelters will continue to cause major losses.
The Unforgettable Tragedy
Md. Delwar Hossain of Southkhali in Sharankhola recounted his harrowing experience, his voice catching and eyes welling up:
"The government didn't issue any warnings before Sidr. We thought nothing would happen. My son was five, my daughter four months old. Suddenly, a torrent of water rushed in... first the current swept my son away, then it snatched my daughter from her mother’s arms. We tried everything, but we couldn't save them. Everything was lost—livestock, home, everything. I still cannot forget that day."
He added that he still wakes up in the middle of the night, leaping up, fearing the water will return. Though he was beginning to recover, Cyclone Remal in 2023 destroyed everything again. Now, he lives in a small shack atop the embankment, which itself is now a hazard—riddled with large cracks and collapsing cement blocks.
"We want the river to be properly controlled," Delwar pleads. "If the government provides drinking water, then people can survive here."
Other residents share similar fears:
"The river seems to be chasing us. If the embankment was proper, we wouldn't suffer this much. I'm afraid to sleep at night, fearing the water will come and take everything away again."
"The cracks are getting bigger every day. We try to stop them with sandbags ourselves. If the government had paid attention earlier, this wouldn't be happening. When a cyclone comes, we wonder: Will we survive?"
Education at Risk
In Southkhali, parents share a collective anxiety about their children: "Children can't concentrate at school. They get scared if they hear a storm sound or the sky turns dark."
"If the embankment breaks, our school will be the first to drown," say many parents. A sustainable embankment will not only save homes but also the future of education.
Expert View and Government Response
For four decades (1985-2025), cyclones have been a terror, but the wound left by the 15-foot storm surge of Super Cyclone Sidr in 2007 remains unhealed. The terrifying memory is a stone weighing on people's hearts, now exacerbated by the new problem of embankment collapse.
Environmentalists, like Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nurul Amin, Chairman of the Environmental Science Department at Patuakhali Science and Technology University, suggest that embankments built without proper testing are prone to failure even in minor storm surges.
Md. Abdullah Al Mamun, Executive Engineer of the Bagerhat Water Development Board, explained that the Sharankhola embankments collapsed due to the saturation caused by continuous rain and ongoing river erosion. He stated that plans have been made for repairing the damaged sections, with one package already underway and the rest to follow in phases.
Mohammad Shafiul Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Barguna district, confirmed steps are being taken to construct more shelters and embankments, alongside plans to preserve the mass graves of those killed by Sidr.
